Mac OS X includes a long list of features, and some that you might overlook can come in handy every day -- or even save you a few dollars. Nancy dives into some of her favorites and shares how they make her Mac even easier to use.

It's time a plain old tips column. In fact, it has been way too long. I have been tied up reviewing cool products from Macworld Expo, but nothing really replaces tips for beginners. So here are some that have either come my way recently, or I have stumbled across them myself trying to solve problems. I hope you find them helpful.

The venerable keyboard isn't the only way to fill your documents with text, and MacSpeech Dictate proves that your voice can work as a typing tool, too. The voice dictation package includes software and a headset, but is it worth the price? Nancy Gravley says it is.

The TMO editors have asked me to reprise my column on holiday cookies. This is actually a nefarious scheme on their part to get me to make a new batch of cookies so they can conduct "product tests." [Editor's note: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.]

In a blog entry last month, I commented that neither I nor an Apple employee could get clamshell mode to work with a new MacBook Pro (MBP) connected to a new LED Cinema Display at the Apple Store. That is, once we closed the lid on the laptop, the Cinema Display turned off and would not turn back on. Subsequently, I contacted Apple about this and they assured me that clamshell mode does work with the new hardware. So I hoofed it back to the Apple Store for a retest.

Bento 2, FileMaker's new consumer-focused database application, is shipping and promises more features while remaining easy to use. Nancy Gravley took Bento 2 for a spin around the block and lets us know if it lives up to those promises and is a worthwhile upgrade.

Being tagged as a beginner Mac user isn't a bad thing, and it isn't always a title that people want to shed as they gain more experience because there's always more to learn. Nancy Gravely shares her perspective on the Mac as a professional beginner, and offers a couple of tips for the beginner in all of us.